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Sony announced in a Leipzig press conference a new digital tuner to be released in early 2008 for the PlayStation 3 that will allow it to display and record TV, effectively turning the console into a PVR. In addition to the PS3 recording and playback functionality, the tuner will also be able to transmit the signal locally or via WiFi to a PSP adding Slingbox-like capabilities to the accessory.

So far there has been no announcement of pricing of the unit, dubbed the PlayTV.

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Fresh off the Games Conference show floor in Leipzig, Jeux-France provides us with some footage of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in action on the PS3. Check out the game’s in-cockpit view, which is looking nice. Also feast your eyes on some spins, crashes, and drifting maneuvers that look, well, like every other racing game ever invented. Ahem…what I mean to say is, Kazunori Yamauchi’s multi-million selling racing franchise knows no equal, and this PS3 iteration looks to be following in the footsteps of its illustrious predecessors.

On the latest episode of its Full Moon Show Podcast, Insomniac Games has disclosed an official North American release date of October 23rd for Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. The game is the fifth installment of the popular action/platform series (okay, so Deadlocked was more of a multiplayer shooter), and first for the PS3. A real next-gen mascot platform game (movie licensed ones don’t count) has been a long time coming, but luckily we have Insomniac around to temporarily rescue us from the glut of dark and mature steroid-addled first person shooters.

Insomniac has promised that a PSN demo will arrive before the final game, but all we have as far as a timeframe is a painfully vague, “Near future.”

Are we approaching that infamous target video yet? Over at the BBC, Guerrilla developers showed off a little more of their flagship PS3 shooter, Killzone 2. The video, linked below, showcases the game’s impressive physics and lighting systems. Also on display is the complete lack of in-game HUD. All in all, it’s a nice little taste that makes the wait for the game, due sometime next year, that much harder to bear.

It was just a few days ago that Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers found themselves in the predicament of not knowing exactly how to score Warhawk, due to the fact that we didn’t know how much the game would cost. Sure, there is the $60 retail version which comes with a Bluetooth headset, but Sony has long touted Warhawk as a premiere downloadable game from the PlayStation Store. Well, we now know the price of the digital version of the game will run you $40, which is, to my knowledge, more expensive than any downloadable game on Xbox 360, Wii or PlayStation 3 to date.

With this knowledge now in hand, which version of the game are you planning to pick up?

Warhawk is set for release later this month in two forms; retail and as a downloadable game from the PlayStation Store. The retail package will include a Bluetooth headset and will go for $59.99 – but they’ve flat-out refused to make any comment pertaining to the pricing of the downloadable version. When contacted by 1UP, Sony continued refusing any attempt to discover what the price might be.

“No news yet on the pricing of Warhawk for download. I would recommend you keep your eye on our blog for an announcement soon,” said SCEA Senior Director of Corporate Comm. Dave Karraker. “Response to date from those in the Warhawk beta has been outstanding, so we think it will do very well. We will be pricing it to match what we are delivering in terms of graphics, gameplay, fun-factor and repeat playability, which we think is quite high.”

It’s an interesting situation, as Electronic Gaming Monthly is in the process of reviewing the game, but they’ve been unable to get any word on the price of the game – which will, understandably so, affect the review score of the game.

Sony won’t tell us the pricing plans are, and as a result, EGM reviewers have been forced to include caveats in their write ups. Lead reviewer (and former OPM editor) Joe Rybicki actually placed a note in his review to EGM Reviews Editor Greg Ford that his score should be dropped a whole point if the price was announced above $30, and the other reviewers have expressed concern over how they should judge the game.

“What I don’t understand is why Sony can’t give us a price when it seems like internally they have one ready. The game is done, our reviewers have been playing it, and each one has asked about the price, which we certainly take into consideration in our reviews,” says Ford. “Because of the lead time for a print publication, we’re forced to go to print with a caveat in our review addressing this issue. Not ideal, and it seems unnecessary. It’s too bad because otherwise, the company has been great getting us the review code, setting up multiplayer play sessions, and providing assets to go along with the review…just no price, which for some consumers is what matters most.”

Over on the official PlayStation blog, Ryan Hamlyn has announced that Factor 5’s PS3 exclusive, Lair, has been delayed in the US. Originally planned to come out on August 14, Lair will now hit store shelves on September 4. Hamlyn claimed it was due to an extra step in the QA testing process – so it probably isn’t in response to the poor review scores the game received in EGM, which have created quite a buzz around the Internet.

In the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, senior producer on LittleBigPlanet, Pete Wilson, confirmed that LBP is going to be more than just a platformer.

It’s funny—I don’t think we actually mentioned this previously, but yes, we will certainly have enemies in the game; I think that’s a fundamental part of good gameplay,” said Wilson. “They will range from little robots that simply roam from left to right to spectacularly complex beasts that pose quite a challenge. We’ve recently built this big, huge giant, and, as with other objects in the game, he’s composed entirely of materials that you wouldn’t expect. He’s quite intimidating, and shows the possibility of what designers can create.

Sounds pretty sweet. If the game enables you to create enemies, then that throws another major dynamic into the mix.

GameVideos has posted a video of an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment’s Phil Harrison, head of worldwide studios, which took place during this year’s E3. 1UP.com’s Sam Kennedy and EGM’s Dan Hsu talk with Phil about Home, LittleBigPlanet, Madden’s 30 FPS woes, the Wii’s success, and more.

Be forewarned that if the pronunciation of the word “beta” as “bee-tah” irritates you, you may want to skip the portion pertaining to Home.

The latest Famitsu magazine has an interview with Gran Turismo producer Kazunori Yamauchi, and 1UP has highlighted some parts of the story. Among other things, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will include two online modes – one with chat and one without. There will be “about” 40 cars and four courses with eight different layouts for those courses. (I smell reversed courses.) The game will feature 16 cars in offline races, but the number may potentially be only 12 when racing online.

For more details on the game’s integration with PlayStation Home and the My Page feature, check out the 1UP story.